Bye, George, Brad and Madonna

And folks, it's a wrap. After a week in Toronto, we're back stateside, thinking and writing about the films we'd seen and the filmmakers we'd met with.

It was a memorable experience, to be sure, and the winners will be announced this weekend. Brad Pitt scored another homerun with his baseball drama Moneyball. George Clooney earned another spate of Oscar buzz with his political saga The Ides of March. And Madonna explored the myth and reality of Wallis Simpson in W.E., a film that divided critics but earned near universal accolades for breakout star Andrea Riseborough.

Smaller films, too, had their moments in the sun. Critics are swept away, justifiably so, by the naturalistic, unaffected and moving love story Like Crazy. Jennifer Westfeldt and Jon Hamm, along with Adam Scott and Kristen Wiig, explored the trials and tribulations of Friends with Kids. Tilda Swinton showed the darker side of motherhood in We Need To Talk About Kevin. And Jennifer Garner seems to have another hit on her hands with the buzzy comedy Butter, which premiered on Tuesday night to a standing ovation -- and a notable statement from Harvey Weinstein.

Thanks for following along with us as we covered the prestigious and the popcorn. Until next year!

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